The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The 2017 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report shows the number of Iowans impacted by the memory-robbing disease continues to grow. Carol Sipfle is the Executive Director for the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Iowa Chapter. “The number of Iowans with Alzheimer’s Disease has gone up. And the 2017 estimates are that 64-thousand Iowans have Alzheimer’s, and that’s compared to 63-thousand the last few years,” Sipfle says.

The projections in the report show Alzheimer’s cases increasing by around three percent by 2020, and then jumping by around 14 percent to 73-thousand in Iowa by 2025. Sipfle says the increase is due to people living longer as aging is the highest risk factor. “Secondly we expect the cases of the disease to increase because of better ways of diagnosing the disease and reporting it. So, we expect more people to have it,” Sipfle says.

Alzheimer’s disease most often strikes Iowans who are over the age of 65 and those age 85 and over account for nearly half the cases. “It is the sixth leading cause of death in Iowa, “Sipfle says, “and people don’t think of Alzheimer’s disease as a cause of death. But it is the sixth leading cause of death in Iowa, as it turns out.”

The impact of the disease goes well beyond those who have it — as the report says the cost of caring for Alzheimer’s and other patients with dementia is estimated at 259 BILLION dollars in 2017. “It’s staggering, I think in part because there is no known way to prevent, treat or cure Alzheimer’s,” Sipfle says. “So, all of those costs are really put into caregiving and just trying to help the person with the disease live a comfortable life during the duration of the disease.”

Sipfle says the positive news is there is a lot of research underway. She says some of the trends in research are to look for biomarkers in the blood to detect Alzheimer’s disease or changes in the brain long before the symptoms are identified. “And that is encouraging, because then if we can determine what that is then medications can be developed to slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease,” Sipfle says.

Sipfle says there is a worldwide study on ways to prevent the disease. “These are all encouraging — they all however do take time and of course take money to speed up the process and find solutions to this problem,” Sipfle says. Sipfle encourages anyone who has any questions about Alzheimer’s disease to give them a call. “We have a toll-free number that is answered 24-7, which is 1-800-272-3900. And we also have a website that is just rich with information and resources, and that website is www.alz.org,” Sipfle says. You can find out more about the Alzheimer’s report at alz.org/facts.

(Radio Iowa)

A reminder for patrons of the Griswold Community School District: A Special School Board meeting is set to take place this evening at 7 in the High School Auditorium,with regard to the District’s facilities.

Griswold Superintendent David Henrichs said late last month, that “For the past several months the facilities committee has been carefully evaluating the costs to maintain multiple school buildings while considering the long-term operational impacts. During [tonight’s] Special Board meeting, which is focused on school facilities, the committee and the architect representing the school will share their findings and make a final recommendation to the Board of Education regarding the next steps.”

He says “With the School Board’s consent, the community intends to further define the plans, the cost and educational benefits for our students.” The Facilities Committee will meet prior to this evening’s meeting, beginning at 5-p.m. Henrichs says the committee feels like they are ready to make a recommendation to the School Board, and the Board will be asked whether they wish to approve that recommendation.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say severe thunderstorms that raced across Iowa spawned tornadoes and left behind damage and power outages. The Muscatine Fire Department says several homes and businesses were damaged Monday night as power lines were knocked down. The department answered several medical calls, but it’s not yet clear whether they were related to the weather.

The National Weather Service says tornadoes were reported in Clinton County, and a service employee reported sighting a twister southwest of the Davenport Municipal Airport in Scott County. The reports have yet to be confirmed. A suspected tornado damaged a school in the south-central Iowa community of Seymour. A straight-line wind gust of 90 mph was reported near Belle Plaine in eastern Iowa. There were several reports of inch-diameter hail elsewhere.

BLAIR, Neb. (AP) – Officials say Grace University plans to move from its Omaha campus to the former Dana College campus in Blair. The move is part of a proposed $92 million redevelopment project announced Monday night in Blair. The project would include a Lutheran Church, a nursing facility, a film studio and a multi-generational housing development.

The campus has been closed since 2010 after an accreditation body refused to approve its sale to for-profit investors. Midland University announced in 2013 plans to reopen the Dana campus but dropped those plans when officials concluded that the costs of reopening Dana were prohibitive compared to other growth options.

Grace University officials have already said the Omaha school district plans to buy the Grace campus.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County, Monday night arrested a man who’s been  arrested twice before, in less than one month. 27-year old Eduardo Monrreal-Robles, of Elliott, was arrested following a traffic stop at the intersection of 110th Street and H Avenue at around 9:20-p.m., Monday. Monrreal-Robles was taken into custody for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was also cited for Driving While License Suspended. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $300.

Monrreal-Robles was previously arrested Feb. 22nd on a Montgomery County warrant for Failure to Appear in Court on a Driving While Suspended charge, and Feb 15th, for Driving with a Suspended License with 13 withdrawals in effect.

The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation is offering five grants of up to a thousand dollars ($1,000) to help more people understand the role of agriculture in everyday life. The foundation’s executive director, Will Fett, says any organization that has agriculture education as part of its mission can apply.

“That might be local FFA chapters, local 4H clubs, county farm bureaus, soil and water conservation districts, anybody who really values agriculture and learning about agriculture,” Fett says. Less than two-percent of the U.S. population is connected with production agriculture, yet it accounts for as much as 15-percent of the nation’s workforce.

“The agriculture literacy challenge grants are intended to help people connect the science behind agriculture, to understand the food production system, and how it has value in their daily lives,” Fett says. The grants can be used to fund innovative lessons, activities, speakers, and other projects. The deadline for the grant applications is April 9th.

(Radio Iowa)

Another bald eagle has died of UN-natural causes in Iowa. Law enforcement officials are investigating after a bald eagle was found shot to death in southwest Winneshiek County last week. DNR officials say the eagle was found in a road ditch four miles north of Jackson Junction last Friday. State Conservation Officer Brian Roffman says anyone with information about the incident can use the agency’s “turn in poachers” website or may call the toll free tipline at 1-800-532-2020. Bald eagles are a state and federally-protected species.

In late February, a central Iowa man was cited in connection with the death of a bald eagle that was found shot and dismembered in a county park on the southeast side of Des Moines. Authorities say the man had the bird’s head and talons, but they suspect someone else killed the eagle.

(Radio Iowa)

The State of Iowa is receiving 21 MILLION dollars from Volkswagen after the automaker admitted to falsifying emissions data. Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa’s share of the 15 BILLION settlement will be directed at projects that reduce emissions from agriculture, manufacturing, or burning fossil fuels.

“This funding has the potential to significantly and positively impact air quality in Iowa,” Reynolds said. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) will be taking suggestions from the public on projects to repower or replace older diesel engines to reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides. On Monday, Reynolds outlined the project and said all details can be found on the Iowa D-O-T’s website.

“We encourage you to take some time to explore the website. It contains detailed information on the types of projects that would be eligible for consideration under the settlement,” Reynolds said. A federal judge approved the settlement between Volkswagen and state and federal governments last year. The carmaker sold nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles with model years 2009 to 2016 equipped with so-called “defeat devices” to get around emissions standards.

Iowa DOT interim director Mark Lowe says Iowa’s share of the settlement was based on how many of the vehicles were sold here. “And if you go to the settlement documents themselves, posted on our website, they may reflect that information,” Lowe said. The $21 million coming to Iowa will be distributed over a 10 year period. The settlement was also designed to compensate owners of the V-W vehicles in question, with payments ranging from $5,100 up to $10,000.
…
link to DOT site:
http://www.iowadot.gov/vwsettlement

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Frustrated Iowans and supportive business owners packed a legislative hearing Monday to discuss a bill that would revoke wage increases for low-income workers. The House Local Government committee heard feedback on the legislation, which would freeze the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and roll back wages that have already been increased. Minimum wage raises have been implemented in Johnson, Linn and Wapello counties, with additional increases planned.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University is supporting a plan to transfer the state’s 27-year-old center for energy research to Gov. Terry Branstad’s administration. The university says that the Iowa Energy Center is expected to move to the Iowa Economic Development Authority, which has an energy office that works to assist the private sector. One environmental leader says he sees no reason for the shift and worries the center will lose its research independence.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police have arrested a 52-year-old woman in the stabbing death of a man. Police say detectives on Monday charged Helen Jeanette Frazier, of Des Moines, with first-degree murder in the death of 55-year-old Andrea Brown. Officers were called to investigate a stabbing on Jan. 2 on the east side of Des Moines. Medics took Brown to a hospital, where he died about an hour later. Police initially arrested a man but dropped the charges because new evidence showed he wasn’t involved.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An overflow crowd jammed a legislative hearing to oppose a bill they argued would make it more difficult to ensure safe water. At Monday’s public hearing on a bill that would dismantle water utilities in Des Moines, West Des Moines and Urbandale, opponents criticized the proposed move from oversight by independent boards to city councils in the three cities. The move is largely supported by cities, but critics contend moving control away from independent water experts will lead to dirtier water.